Mold for casting zinc slabs



Jan. 9, 1934.

M. A. M CREARY T AL 1,943,026 MOLD FOR CASTING ZINC; SLABS Filed March21, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l Exams: Mder fl file Creamy Wm B. 0 m7" Jan. 9,1934. MCCREARY r L 1,943,026

MOLD FOR CASTING ZINC SLABS Filed March 21, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 j aw-Jan. 9, 1934.

MOLD FOR CASTING ZINC SLABS Filed March 21, 1950 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3Evafins M00 6 an M. A. MCCREARY El AL 1,943,026

Patented Jan. 9, 1934 MOLD FOR CASTING ZINC SLABS Miller A. McCreary andWilliam B. Porter, Danville, 111., assignors to The Hegeler ZincCompany, Danville, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 21,1930.

3 Claims.

Broadly, the present invention relates to the class of metal founding.

Specifically the invention relates to a mold for casting slabs of zincmetal preparatory to 5 rolling the same into long and relatively very"thin strips.

Principal objects of the invention are to provide an improved mold forcasting zinc slabs, by means of which slabs of relatively uniformtexture will be produced; and, to prevent the formation of voids in thecastings-commonly known as piping-which in the subsequent rolling orother fabrication of the metal, may result in faults or fissures whichvery adversely affects the quality of the product.

' Io effect the objects thereof, a mold embodying our invention andimprovements comprises the various features, combinations of features,and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

4 In the accompanying drawings, in which our invention is fullyillustrated,

Fig. l is a side view of a mold embodying our invention and improvementsshowing the same set up ready for pouring the metal, in full lines, itsposition during cooling of the metal being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the mold proper removed from thesupporting frame. Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the mold proper removedfrom the supporting frame, substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, withparts thereof omitted.

Fig. 5 is an end view from the left side of Fig.

'1, showing the mold closed; and

' which are hinged together to provide for opening Cal and closing themold, and B designates as a whole, a frame in which the mold proper ismounted so as to be rotatable about a transverse axis from asubstantially horizontal position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, toa substantially upright or vertical position, as shown in dotted linesin said Fig. 1.

For purposes of convenient reference, the mold ;sections a, a willhereinafter be designated as Serial No. 437,831

the lower and upper mold sections, respectively.

As erected for use, the supporting frame B is rigidly secured to thefloor or other suitable supporting surface indicated by the line b, inany suitable manner as by bolts 1.

As shown, also, the mold proper A is rotatably mounted in the frame B bymeans of trunnions 2 formed on the lower mold section a, which areadapted to engage open-sided bearings 3 formed in the ends of spacedarms 4 formed on the base 5 I or frame B and which extend at an angleupwardly and rearwardly therefrom so that they will overhang, all asclearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Formed at the outer ends of thetrunnions 2 are heads 5 which are adapted to embrace the outer sides ofthe bearings 3, thus preventing possibility of lateral displacement ofthe mold A from its bearings.

To provide for opening the mold, corresponding sides of the mold sectiona, a are hinged together, such hinged connection consisting of two setsof lugs, 6 and 7 formed on said mold sections, respectively, each setconsisting of overlapping lugs, provided with aligned holes or bearingsadapted to receive pivot pins 8.

In accordance with our invention, see particularly Fig. 1, turningmovement of the mold A is limited by stops, contact of the mold withwhich, respectively, define horizontal and vertical positions of themajor dimension of the mold, said 5 stops comprising a stop 10 on theframe of the mold which projects into the path of movement of a rigidpart of the mold adjacent the end thereof which is uppermost when themold is disposed vertically, and which defines casting position of themold-that is substantially horizontal position. As shown, also, the stopwhich defines vertical position of the mold consists of a fixed block10, which may form part of the foundation of the mold and is positionedin the path of movement of the lower end of the mold when the mold isturned into vertical position. Also, to provide for varying the castingposition of the mold A, if desired, the stop 10 is preferablyadjustable, consisting, as shown, of a bolt which has screw threadedengagement with a hole formed in the mold base B, and adapted to besecured in different adjusted positions by means of a locknut 11, in afamiliar manner.

In the preferable construction shown, also, the trunnions 2 arepositioned below the center of gravity of the mold both when in verticaland in horizontal positions, the relation being such that the mold willbe stable in both positions defined by the stops 10, 10'.

shown in Fig. 1.

As shown, the mold cavity a is formed by recesses 12 and 13 formed inthe contacting sides of the mold sections a, a, see particularly Figs. 4and 6, said recesses being shaped and propertioned to form a slab orcasting of desired size and shape.

For casting zinc slabs to be rolled into strips, the mold cavity a issubstantially rectangular in cross-section and is proportioned to formslabs which, in usual practice, are about 5 ft. long x 10 in. wide x 2in. thick, though this relation may Vary within wide limits, as may bedesired.

Preparatory to the casting operation, the upper mold section a is turnedto bring the recessed side thereof into contact with the recessed sideof the lower mold section, means being provided for rigidly securingsaid mold sections together in such closed position. As shown, the meansfor this purpose consists of eye-bolts 14, the eyes in which are pivotedbetween sets of spaced lugs 15 formed on the top mold section 0.adjacent to opposite ends thereof, said eye-bolts having rigid shouldersadjacent their free ends adapted to interlock with shoulders formed atthe undersides of sets of lugs 16 formed on the lower mold section inline with the lugs 15 on the upper mold section, said lugs 18 beingspaced apart to permit the eye-bolts 14 to enter between them, as bestTo provide for adjusting the position of the shoulders on the eye-bolts14 relative to the shoulders on the lugs 16, said heads are preferablyformed by nuts 17 which have threaded engagement with the ends of saideye-bolts,

said nuts preferably being castellated and adapted to be secured indifferent adjusted positions by means of cotter pins, in a familiarmanner.

In the preferable construction shown, the eyebolts are pivoted to pins18 secured in the lugs 15 and said eye-bolts are adapted to be subjectedto tension to draw and secure the mold sections into close contact witheach other by means as follows: Pivoted on the pins 18 are levers 19formed on which, eccentric to the axes of said pins are hubs 20 to whichthe eyes in the eye-bolts 14 are fitted so that said eye-bolts will turnfreely thereon, the relation being such that when the levers 19 arethrown frontwards, the eccentric hubs 20 thereon will operate to depresssaid eye-bolts to disengage the heads thereon, specifically the nuts 17,from the shoulders on the lugs 16 on the lower mold section; therelation being such also, that when the nuts 17 on the eye-bolts 14 arein engagement with the lugs 16 and the levers 19 are turned rearwardlysubstantially into the position shown in Fig. 5, said eye-bolts will besubjected to tension which will operate, in an obvious manner, to raisethe eye-bolts 14 to effect engagement of the heads thereon with theshoulders on the lugs 16, said nuts being preferably so adjusted thatwhen the mold sections a, a. are in designed contact, the major axes ofthe eccentric hubs 20 will slightly over-throw vertical lines throughthe centers'of the pins 18, thereby looking the mold sections together,in an obvious manner. In the preferable construction shown, also, theeccentric hubs 20 are so positioned on the levers 19 that immediatelyafter the major axes of said hubs pass the vertical, said levers 19 willcontact with rigid parts of the upper mold section a, thus effectivelyclamping the mold sections together in closed position.

As shown, the upper mold section is adapted to be turned pivotally toopen the mold, by means of a suitable bar 21, an end of which is adaptedto engage a hole or opening in a boss 22 formed on the top side of theupper mold section a. As shown, said bar forms a separate part and isremovable when not in use.

In accordance with usual practice, the molten zinc is poured into themold when said mold is disposed horizontally, as shown in full lines inFig. 1, this being effected by means of a hollow extension 23 of thelower mold section, the interior of which is in open communication withthe mold cavity a the preferable relation being shown in Fig. 4, inwhich the bottom of the cavity in said hollow mold extension is belowthe bottom of the mold cavity when the mold is disposed horizontally,and the top of said extension is higher than the top side of the moldcavity, when disposed horizontally. With this relation, it is obviousthat the molten zinc may be poured into the mold without appreciablefall, it being recognized that to permit molten zinc to fall anyconsiderable distance when pouring it, will adversely affect the qualityof the metal.

As shown, also, see particularly Fig. 4, the mold cavity comprises asink-head 24, arranged between the mold cavity proper and the interiorof the hollow extension 23, the dimension of said sink-head,corresponding to the thickness of the mold cavity proper, beingsufficiently greater than said dimension of the mold cavity, that themetal contained therein will cool and set more slowly than the metal inthe body portion of the mold proper.

In operating our improved mold, the molten zinc is poured when the moldis positioned horizontally, and when full and while the metal is stillmolten and fluid, said mold is turned pivotally into upright position,thus producing a static head of molten metal in the mold, which we havediscovered will effectively prevent piping as the metal cools, the metalin the sinkhead compensating for any shrinkage in the mold and insuringa perfect slab. Also, the dimension of the sink-head in the direction ofthe length of mold cavity proper is proportioned to subject the moltenmetal in the upper portion of mold cavity-when the mold is turned intoupright positionto an effective static pressure.

Preferably, also, see particularly Fig. l, usual inclined surfaces 25and 26 are provided between the interior of the hollow mold extension 23and the sink-head 24, and between said sink-head and the mold cavityproper. Thus by inserting paddle-shaped barriers in position betweenopposite side walls of the pot-forming extension of the lower moldsection, but which terminate above the bottom thereof, oxide which formson top of the metal, will be prevented from entering the mold with themolten metal which passes under the lower ends of said skimming device.

For convenience in turning the mold pivotally from horizontal tovertical position and vice versa, a suitable handle i providedconsisting, as shown, of an extension of the hinge pin 8 which isuppermost when the mold is disposed vertically.

While we have herein shown and described 4 what we now consider to be apreferable form of mold for the practice of our invention as it relatesto a process of casting zinc slabs, it is obvious that, within the scopeand contemplation of our invention, said mold admits of a wide 5 rangeof variation and modification. We do not, therefore, desire to limit theprotection of the patent to the structure shown, but to include thereinsuch variations and modifications as come within the scope of theclaims.

' As used in the claims to indicate the mold sections, the designationsupper and lower refer to the mold when in horizontal position.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for the purpose specified, the combination of a frame, amold proper comprising sections which form a mold cavity, means forpivotally mounting said mold proper on said frame, and stops which limitpivotal movement thereof to approximate vertical and horizontalpositions, respectively, and the center of gravity of said mold properbeing higher than the pivotal axis thereof, both in horizontal andvertical positicns, and outside oi its pivotal axis when said moldproper is vertical.

2. The apparatus specified in claim 1, the lower mold section of whichcomprises a hollow extension forming an open-sided pot, the interior ofwhich is in open communication with the slabforming section of the moldcavity, the top and bottom sides, respectively, of said slab-formingmold section, being below the top of said extension and above the bottomof said pot when the mold proper is horizontal.

3. The apparatus specified in claim 1, in which the mold cavitycomprises a sink head intermediate the pot in the extension of the lowermold section and the slab-forming section of the mold cavity, and thebottom of said pot is below the bottom sides of said sink head and ofthe slabforming section of the mold cavity when the mold is inhorizontal position.

MILLER A. MCCREARY. WILLIAM B. PORTER.

